India + Festivals | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/india+festivals
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Kumbh Mela draws millions of Hindus to Ganges - videohttp://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jan/14/kumbh-mela-hindu-ganges-video
Millions bathe in the Ganges at Allahabad in India at the start of the Hindu festival Kumbh Mela, thought to be the largest human congregation in the world. The Mela happens every 12 years. In 2001 more than 40 million people attended on the main bathing day, breaking the world record for the largest human gathering in one place <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jan/14/kumbh-mela-hindu-ganges-video">Continue reading...</a>HinduismIndiaSouth and Central AsiaReligionWorld newsKumbh MelaFestivalsTravelIndiaMon, 14 Jan 2013 15:04:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/jan/14/kumbh-mela-hindu-ganges-videoITN/ITNKumbh Mela - widely considered the largest human congregation in the world Photograph: ITNGuardian Staff2013-01-14T15:04:00Z10 of the best live music venues in Mumbaihttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/mar/01/10-best-live-music-venues-mumbai
Business is booming in Mumbai and so is the music scene, with venues hosting indie and electronica nights, international DJs, pop-up recitals and Sufi festivals, says <strong>Amit Gurbaxani</strong><br /><br />• <strong><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/interactive/mumbai-city-guide">Browse our Mumbai interactive for top tips</a></strong><br /><br /><strong>If you have a favourite Mumbai music spot, please share it by leaving a comment</strong><p>It would not be an exaggeration to say that Blue Frog has revolutionised the live music scene in Mumbai. When it opened in the former mill-district-turned-media-hub of Lower Parel in December 2007, the 400-capacity restaurant/bar's plans to hold gigs six nights a week seemed ambitious. By December 2011, the gamble had proved so successful that it launched a branch in New Delhi. Indeed, almost all of the country's biggest indie and electronica acts frequently perform here, from electro-pop duo Shaai'ir + Func and blues rockers Soulmate to electronica duo Midival Punditz. Even more impressive is the roster of international artists to appear – Afro-pop queen Ang&eacute;lique Kidjo, indie darling Imogen Heap, Asian Underground exponent Talvin Singh, hip-hop heavyweight T-Pain, and jazz star Joshua Redman, to name just a few. Tuesdays through Thursdays are typically reserved for rock, jazz and world music, while Fridays and Saturdays are electronica nights. The Frog also has a role in promoting India's non-Bollywood music scene, hosting a metal night one Sunday every month and an hour-long 7.30pm slot to aspiring singer-songwriters on weeknights. <br />• <em>Mathuradas Mills Compound,&nbsp;Senapati Bapat Marg,&nbsp;Lower Parel, + 91 22 6158 6158, </em><a href="http://www.bluefrog.co.in" title=""><em>bluefrog.co.in</em></a><em>. Tues-Sat 6.30pm-1.30am, 11.30am-5pm and 6.30pm-1.30am Sun, closed Mon. Performances start at 10pm on Tues, Weds and Thurs; at 10.30pm on Fri and Sat; and 9pm on Sun. Entry free before 9pm except on ticketed or specially priced nights</em></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/mar/01/10-best-live-music-venues-mumbai">Continue reading...</a>MumbaiIndiaTravelMusicBars and clubsTop 10sFestivalsAsiaCity breaksThu, 01 Mar 2012 10:15:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/mar/01/10-best-live-music-venues-mumbaiSanjeev Syal / Demotix/Demotix/CorbisVishwamohan Bhatt performing at the Shanmukhananda Auditorium. Photograph: Sanjeev Syal / Demotix/Demotix/CorbisMail Today/India Today Group/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Mail Today/India Today Group/Getty ImagesAlamyPRPublic DomainWobble night at Bonobo. Photograph: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/wo33le">Wobble</a>FlickrPhotograph: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hatwar/3958151276/">Amol Hatwar on Flickr</a>/<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en_GB">Some rights reserved</a>Kevin Frayer/APPhotograph: Kevin Frayer/APGreetsia Tent/WireImagePhotograph: Greetsia Tent/WireImagePublic DomainPRBlue Frog has revolutionised the live music scene in MumbaiPRBlue FrogAmit Gurbaxani2012-03-01T10:15:00ZIndia goes indie at the NH7 Weekenderhttp://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/nov/23/nh7-weekender-india
A new festival looks set to be India's answer to Glastonbury<p>It can be difficult when travelling by train in India to ensure you disembark at the correct city. Especially when it's 5am, and everybody around you is busy giggling at your pronunciation. We're in Pune (pronounced Poo-nay, apparently) for the second year of the <a href="http://nh7.in/weekender/" title="">NH7 Weekender.</a> India has a smattering of music festivals, but these are mostly traditional <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2009/nov/12/rajasthan-international-folk-festival-india" title="">events</a> or <a href="http://sunburn.in/" title="">trance affairs</a> aimed at tourists unable to wait for their Ibiza kicks. NH7 is an attempt to create a Glastonbury, or perhaps more precisely, <a href="http://www.lovebox.net/" title="">Lovebox-style</a> event in India.</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/nov/23/nh7-weekender-india">Continue reading...</a>MusicPop and rockIndieFestivalsCultureFestivalsIndiaAsiaTravelWed, 23 Nov 2011 17:57:19 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/nov/23/nh7-weekender-indiaStephen Budd/PRThe big Weekender … The Raghu Dixit Project perform onstage at NH7 in India. Photograph: Stephen BuddStephen Budd/PRThe Raghu Dixit Project Photograph: Stephen BuddMark Muldoon2011-11-23T17:57:19ZFeatured photojournalist: Manish Swaruphttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/nov/11/photojournalist-manish-swarup
Manish Swarup has worked for Associated Press for the past 10 years. He is based in New Delhi, from where he covers all aspects of Indian life. Here he photographs the Pushkar camel fair in Rajasthan, which attracts thousands of herders and their animals every year <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/nov/11/photojournalist-manish-swarup">Continue reading...</a>PhotographyArt and designFestivalsCultureIndiaWorld newsFestivalsIndiaFri, 11 Nov 2011 12:31:03 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/nov/11/photojournalist-manish-swarupManish Swarup/APA camel looks up as hot air balloons carrying tourists fly over the Pushkar fair in Rajasthan Photograph: Manish Swarup/APGuardian Staff2011-11-11T12:31:03ZSitars and sarods: India's best music festivalshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/sep/11/india-music-festivals
There are dozens of festivals in India, from the sedate and classical to the crazy and devotional<p>There are two types of music festival in India. There are those, such as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/sep/11/jodhpur-rajasthan-india-music-festival" title="">Jodhpur's Riff</a>, that cater for international visitors as well as a local audience, and those that are truly Indian. The latter are often spiritual events, like the Kenduli Mela, see below, in West Bengal. These are less comfortable, more crowded, but often the most memorable. Most take place in the cooler winter months, when travelling in India is more pleasant. </p><p>• In Rajasthan and catering for an international audience is the <strong>Jaipur Literature Festival</strong> (21-25 January 2011; <a href="http://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/" title="">jaipurliteraturefestival.org</a>), which includes big name authors and an impressive music programme in the Rajasthani capital. Held at the beautiful <a href="http://www.hoteldiggipalace.com/" title="">Hotel Diggi Palace</a>, it is programmed by historian and travel writer William Dalrymple (a big music fan) and publisher and novelist Namita Ghokale. Visiting authors in 2011 include Orhan Pamuk, JM Coetzee, Kiran Desai, Germaine Greer and Monica Ali; and although the music programme isn't confirmed yet, the last festival included Titi Robin, a group of Sufi fakirs from Pakistan, plus Susheela Raman and Sam Mills. There are readings, discussions and interviews during the day and great music in the evenings. And Jaipur is only three or four hours' drive from Delhi.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/sep/11/india-music-festivals">Continue reading...</a>IndiaFestivalsTravelMusicAsiaFri, 10 Sep 2010 23:05:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/sep/11/india-music-festivalsPRThe Saptak Festival 2010 in Gujarat.PRThe Saptak Festival 2010 in Gujarat.Simon Broughton2010-09-10T23:05:50ZRap for the rajas: India's best new music festivalhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/sep/11/jodhpur-rajasthan-india-music-festival
Rajasthan's International Folk Festival, launched just three years ago and held in a majestic fort in the Blue City of Jodhpur, is one of the most intimate and innovative in India<p>The sun was rising over one side of Jaswant Thada – an ornate royal cremation ground and the perfect panoramic vantage point overlooking Jodhpur – yet the brightest full moon of the year was still lingering in the sky. Identical twins Amit and Asit Goswami greeted the new day joyously with their enchanting sarod and sitar melodies, and those of us who had gathered for this 5.45am start, welcomed the golden glow as it warmed our faces and bare feet, poking out under a sea of uniformly crossed legs. Men executed slow yogic positions at the edge of the crowd; the call to morning prayers entwined with the music. Hot chai was passed round.</p><p>Later in the day, we were swept up in the party atmosphere of brilliant Bollywood percussionist Sivamani. His raucous percussion show couldn't have been further away from the peacefulness of the dawn, but it was just as exhilarating. Sivamani was surrounded by his hardcore fans, who were elated by his preposterous rhythms. It felt like being at a &quot;normal&quot; gig. Such contrasting performances, such collisions of old and new India, are typical of the country's newest major music event, the Rajasthan International Folk Festival (Riff), which started in 2007 and attracted 1,800 paying visitors last year.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/sep/11/jodhpur-rajasthan-india-music-festival">Continue reading...</a>IndiaFestivalsTravelMusicFestivalsCultural tripsRajasthanFri, 10 Sep 2010 23:05:16 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/sep/11/jodhpur-rajasthan-india-music-festivalPRRaeis Khan on the Rajasthani morchang with beatboxer Jason Singh from Manchester at Jodhpur's Riff.PRRaeis Khan on the Rajasthani morchang with beatboxer Jason Singh from Manchester at Jodhpur's Riff 2010.Sarah Phillips2010-09-10T23:05:16ZKrishna's birthdayhttp://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2010/sep/01/festivals-hinduism-india-krishna
Children dress as Hindu god Krishna during festivities to mark Janmashtami at a school in Mumbai <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2010/sep/01/festivals-hinduism-india-krishna">Continue reading...</a>FestivalsHinduismReligionIndiaWorld newsTravelIndiaFestivalsThu, 02 Sep 2010 01:13:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2010/sep/01/festivals-hinduism-india-krishnaRajanish Kakade/APChildren dressed as Hindu God Krishna during festivities to mark Janmashtami at a school in Mumbai, India. Janmashtami is the festival that marks the birth of Krishna. Photograph: Rajanish Kakade/APGuardian Staff2010-09-02T01:13:07ZKumbh Mela: the biggest religious gathering on earthhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/mar/18/kumbh-mela-india-hindu-festival
Georgia Brown joins millions of pilgrims travelling to Haridwar, in the foothills of the Himalayas, for one of the largest religious gatherings on the planet<p>The Kumbh Mela festival in India is an act of faith, and movement of people, on a miraculous scale. Hindu pilgrims and saddhus arrive in their millions – a sea of humanity pouring in on overcrowded trains, chartered planes, buses, bikes, on horseback and on foot – to wash themselves in sacred rivers in the towns of Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik. In doing so, they believe they cleanse themselves of sin and liberate themselves from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. The festival commemorates a mythical battle between gods and demons over a pitcher of the nectar of immortality. The pilgrimage occurs four times every 12 years, once at each of the four locations. This year it was the turn of Haridwar, near Rishikesh, at the foot of the Himalayas, from 14 January – 28 April. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/mar/18/kumbh-mela-india-hindu-festival">Continue reading...</a>IndiaTravelHinduismFestivalsThu, 18 Mar 2010 10:02:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/mar/18/kumbh-mela-india-hindu-festivalGeorgia Brown/guardian.co.ukHaridwar in India, site of the Kumbh Mela Photograph: Georgia Brown/guardian.co.ukGeorgia Brown2010-03-18T10:02:00ZVideo breaks: Kumbh Mela, Indiahttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2010/mar/18/kumbh-mela-festival-india-hindu
Georgia Brown joins millions of pilgrims travelling to the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar, in the foothills of the Himalayas, for one of the largest religious gatherings on the planet<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/mar/18/kumbh-mela-india-hindu-festival"><br />Getting there information</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2010/mar/18/kumbh-mela-festival-india-hindu">Continue reading...</a>IndiaHinduismCultural tripsFestivalsTravelKumbh MelaThu, 18 Mar 2010 10:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2010/mar/18/kumbh-mela-festival-india-hinduGeorgia Brown/guardian.co.ukHaridwar in India, site of the Kumbh Mela Photograph: Georgia Brown/guardian.co.ukGeorgia Brown and Elliot Smith2010-03-18T10:01:00ZHoli, the festival of colourshttp://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2010/feb/28/india-hindu-religion-hinduism
Holi is a spring festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and other religions <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2010/feb/28/india-hindu-religion-hinduism">Continue reading...</a>IndiaHinduismSikhismReligionWorld newsTravelIndiaFestivalsMon, 01 Mar 2010 02:41:13 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2010/feb/28/india-hindu-religion-hinduismSucheta Das/APIndian kids smeared with colors look on as they celebrate 'Holi,' the Indian festival of colors, in Calcutta Photograph: Sucheta Das/APGuardian Staff2010-03-01T02:41:13Z30 fantastic new trips for 2010http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/10/30-new-2010-trips
From a newly accessible ski area in Eastern Europe to a little-travelled corner of India, we have scoured the brochures for this year's most unusual and innovative ideas<p><strong>Ski in Eastern Europe</strong><br />European ski resorts are seeing some fantastic powder, but those on a tight budget should consider heading east, taking advantage of new flights from Danube Wings launched last month. They link Luton, Manchester and Dublin to Poprad-Tatry in Slovakia, which is less than an hour's drive from Jasna, the country's largest resort and with a growing off-piste reputation.<br />•<strong> Flights to Poprad-Tatry with Danube Wings (</strong><a href="http://www.danubewings.com" title="danubewings.com"><strong>danubewings.com</strong></a><strong>) cost from &pound;150. For accommodation information see </strong><a href="http://www.tatry.net/accommodation/" title="tatry.net/accommodation"><strong>jasna.sk</strong></a></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/10/30-new-2010-trips">Continue reading...</a>Adventure travelSkiingSlovakiaIndiaCultural tripsSeychellesFamily holidaysWinter sportsWinter sunScotlandWinter Olympics 2010VancouverNewcastleFestivalsAndorraGhentSurfingCornwallSt LuciaUnited StatesTwilightIstanbulShanghaiGothenburgSantiago de CompostelaRail travelAustraliaZimbabweSafarisGreeceGolfing holidaysRyder CupMontenegroHeston BlumenthalRestaurantsMexicoNorwayNorthern lightsAntarcticaTravelWinter OlympicsOlympicsSun, 10 Jan 2010 00:06:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/10/30-new-2010-tripsMANAN VATSYAYANA/AFPThe Kumbh Mela is the world's largest religious fesitval. It is held four times every 12 years, and in 2010 will be in Haridwar, India. Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFPMANAN VATSYAYANA/AFPThe Kumbh Mela is the world's largest religious fesitval. It is held four times every 12 years, and in 2010 will be in Haridwar, India, lasting 10 weeks. Photograph: MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFPAnnabelle Thorpe2010-01-10T00:06:07ZThe best local festivals of 2010 | June to Decemberhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/02/2010-best-festivals-june-december
You may only just be getting over your hangover, but don't hang up your dancing shoes just yet. Here's where to party like a local in 2010, as chosen by our experts<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jan/02/2010-best-festivals-january-may ">Read part one - January to May</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/02/2010-best-festivals-june-december">Continue reading...</a>FestivalsFestivalsTravelItalyFood and drinkIrelandCorkFranceCalaisCaliforniaUnited StatesLiechtensteinZambiaIndiaCultural tripsArgentinaDevonMexicoNigeriaCambodiaSenegalNew ZealandSat, 02 Jan 2010 00:06:53 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jan/02/2010-best-festivals-june-decemberAlamyCostume party ... La Giostra del Saraceno Saracen Joust, Tuscany, Italy. Photograph: AlamyFr d ric Soltan/CorbisTarnetar mela, India Photograph: Fr d ric Soltan/CorbisGuardian Staff2010-01-02T00:06:53ZVideo: 'This is India's most magical festival'http://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2009/nov/12/rajasthan-international-folk-festival-india
<strong>Sarah Phillips</strong> travels to the city of Jodhpur for the Rajasthan International Folk festival, which celebrates India's musical heritage<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/nov/11/1 ">Getting there details for next year's festival</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2009/nov/12/rajasthan-international-folk-festival-india">Continue reading...</a>IndiaFestivalsCultural tripsTravelIndiaMusicFolk musicThu, 12 Nov 2009 07:05:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2009/nov/12/rajasthan-international-folk-festival-indiaguardian.co.ukMusicians play against the sunset at the Rajasthan international folk festival Photograph: guardian.co.ukSarah Phillips and Laurence Topham2009-11-12T07:05:00ZDancing with the sitars at India's newest music festivalhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/nov/12/india-music-festival-rajasthan-folk
Sarangi meets beatboxing at the Rajasthan International Folk festival, a high-spirited musical celebration that fuses India's past with its present<p>A <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2009/may/20/indian-summer-paintings-british-museum">recent exhibition at the British Museum</a> brought artworks produced for the Maharajas of northern India at the height of their influence to Europe for the first time. The mesmerising illustrations depict one long party of music, food and romance, which 200 years on seems somewhat otherworldly. But for me, attending India's newest music festival in Jodhpur last month felt like stepping into one of those paintings, as I was able to appreciate firsthand the incredible cultural heritage of the region.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/nov/12/india-music-festival-rajasthan-folk">Continue reading...</a>IndiaFestivalsTravelWorld musicMusicFestivalsCultureRajasthanThu, 12 Nov 2009 07:05:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/nov/12/india-music-festival-rajasthan-folkSarah PhillipsRajasthan folk festival, Jodhpur, India Photograph: Sarah PhillipsSarah Phillips2009-11-12T07:05:00ZA new dawn for Goa's party scenehttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/aug/08/india-festivals-goa-dance-party
The Sunburn festival has revived Goa's party scene, attracting Indian DJs and domestic tourists with its laid-back atmosphere and broader music policy<p>The verdict was clear. &quot;It's not like it used to be&quot;, my ageing dreadlocked companion croaked in my ear as the DJ Simon Dunmore, tonight's headliner, emerged through a cloud of dry ice. He flashed me an ambiguous smile and headed off to lose himself in the sea of grooving partygoers. </p><p>It was the magical hour on Candolim beach in central Goa, the Indian sun hovered over the horizon, casting a golden hue over the 5,000-strong crowd. This all felt very familiar, but it was not one of the legendary &quot;sunrise&quot; parties, the underground, full moon events of the 1990s. The three-day Sunburn Festival is quite different. Fully licensed, it starts well before the sun has set and is touted as the new face of Goa's electronic party scene. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/aug/08/india-festivals-goa-dance-party">Continue reading...</a>IndiaFestivalsBeach holidaysTravelFestivalsMusicGoaFri, 07 Aug 2009 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/aug/08/india-festivals-goa-dance-partyTom ParkerCrowd approval ... high-tech sound systems help to attract a new audience. Photograph: Tom ParkerTom ParkerGoa's Sunburn festival Photograph: Tom ParkerTom Parker2009-08-07T23:01:00ZAnita Kaushal and family join the Holi celebrations in north Indiahttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/20/festivals-india
The Hindu festival of Holi marks the start of spring with a joyous and messy party. Anita Kaushal and family join the celebrations in north India<p>It is not the first time I have woken up to find make-up smeared down my face after a late night, but on this morning the colours were rather more virulent than usual. I peered at my reflection with its smudges of bright pink and luminous green. It took a moment for my brain to register the reason for this colourful mess. We were on holiday in north India to celebrate the Holi festival and my husband had, in a pre-emptive strike, daubed my face with coloured powder as I slept. </p><p>We were staying at Rohet Garh, a 40-minute drive from Jodhpur airport, with our children, Milli, 7, and Manav, 4, and two friends and their daughter Maya, 7. Rohet Garh is a palace heritage hotel with rooms dripping in miniature paintings, ornate mirrored panels, silk fabrics and family photos and mementos, and set around a manicured lawn complete with strutting peacocks. But the real pull is the presence of the maharaja Sedath Singh and his family who still live at the hotel. It feels like the home of an old family friend, albeit a very flamboyant one. We were greeted by a brass band and marigold garlands, and the maharaja took our children by the hand and introduced them to his grandchildren. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/20/festivals-india">Continue reading...</a>FestivalsIndiaTravelCultural tripsFamily holidaysHinduismSat, 20 Dec 2008 00:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/dec/20/festivals-indiaMoney Sharma/EPAHoli festival in India. Photograph: Angelina EpiphaniouMoney Sharma/EPAHoli festival in India. Photograph: Money Sharma/EPAAnita Kaushal2008-12-20T00:01:00ZWorld music events with a true flavour of local culturehttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/may/17/festivals.worldmusic
Europe's burgeoning pop festivals offer a sunny alternative to Glasto, but for a true flavour of local culture nothing beats these world music events<p>Against the magnificent backdrop of the keyhole gate to the royal palace in Fes, Youssou N'Dour gave the live premiere of Egypt, his most groundbreaking album in years. With Egyptian strings and Senegalese percussion, his incantatory voice soared into the warm night sky. The album is about Islam, the Mouride brotherhoods of his native Senegal and their message of peace. The occasion was the <strong>Fes Festival of World Sacred Music</strong> in Morocco (this year's event runs June 6-15, <a href="http://www.fesfestival.com">fesfestival.com</a>), and the shrine of one of the saints he was singing about was just a few minutes away in the labyrinth of lanes that form the medina. </p><p>Music festivals have mushroomed. There are those, like Exit in Serbia or Benicassim in Spain, that give you pop and rock stars, indie bands and DJs - the Glastonbury experience without the mud - but the ones I prefer are those that spring from their location and give you a window on the culture. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/may/17/festivals.worldmusic">Continue reading...</a>FestivalsMoroccoMaliBosnia-HerzegovinaIndiaTravelCultureFestivalsFri, 16 May 2008 23:01:25 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/may/17/festivals.worldmusicPROpening doors ... Youssou N'Dour performing at the keyhole gate in FesPRSimon Broughton2008-05-16T23:01:25ZThe festivalhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/apr/08/escape.festivals.india
<p>Big Chill Goa, the exotic alternative to the popular British festival, takes place in Asvem in northern Goa, on a glorious palm-fringed beach, on 14-15 April and will feature three music performance areas, an 'art trail' and a 'Body &amp; Soul' healing area. Weekend tickets cost Rs3000 (&pound;35) per adult. You can still find flights with Goa Way (<a href="http://www.goaway.com">www.goaway.com</a> ), and there are local hotels listed on the festival website, <a href="http://www.bigchillindia.in">www.bigchillindia.in</a>.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/apr/08/escape.festivals.india">Continue reading...</a>TravelFestivalsIndiaSun, 08 Apr 2007 21:19:21 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/apr/08/escape.festivals.indiaGuardian Staff2007-04-08T21:19:21ZParty round the world in 2007http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jan/12/festivals.guide.2007
Start with the Philippines’ rum-fuelled parades, end with the stilt-dancers in the Bahamas, and be sure to fit some naked mini-golf in between. Follow the festival season around the globe with our guide<br/><br/>See our festivals <a href="http://travel.guardian.co.uk/flash/page/0,,1989215,00.html">slideshow</a><p>Every country in the world has its own festivals and celebrations. They’re a colourful key to unlocking local cultures and can make for a fantastic travel experience. Many travellers have their own special memories of spectacular events they have attended, whether it’s a long-planned visit to Spain’s Fiesta de San Fermin, or a stumbled-upon saint’s-day procession in a dusty town in southern Italy. Covering nearly 200 festivals and events, the new World Party: The Rough Guide to the World’s Best Festivals shows you how the world likes to party. In this extract, you’ll find high-energy inspiration for a year of party-led globetrotting.</p><p></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jan/12/festivals.guide.2007">Continue reading...</a>TravelFestivalsRio de JaneiroBrazilPhilippinesIndiaAmsterdamNetherlandsLaosMoroccoItalySri LankaUnited StatesMexicoBahamasMon, 15 Jan 2007 11:14:59 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/jan/12/festivals.guide.2007Head and shoulders above the rest ... Rio carnival. Photograph: Rough GuidesGuardian Staff2007-01-15T11:14:59Z